NFL Open Thread: Week 1 – Browns/Cowboys
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns
TV/Radio:
4:15 PM EST, WJW Channel 8, WMMS FM 100.7
Weather:
Partly cloudy. Forecasted to be 73 degrees at kickoff. Westerly winds at 13 MPH.
Injuries:
DAL: Out – Miles Austin, WR; Sam Hurd, WR; Kyle Kosier, G; Anthony Spencer, LB; Questionable – Isaiah Stanback, WR; Terence Newman, CB.
CLE: Out – Kris Griffin, LB; Martin Rucker, TE; Questionable – Rex Hadnot, G; Brodney Pool, S; Ryan Tucker, G; Beau Bell, LB; Joshua Cribbs, WR; Jamal Lewis, RB; Probable – Phil Dawson, K; Sean Jones, S
**
This one will definitely be high scoring. A lot will come down to what Jamal Lewis can do on the run to set up the pass. This will be the first time we’ll see Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth and Kellen Winslow with Derek Anderson. All eyes will be on Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams stopping the run. If anything, let’s just rejoice in the fact that football is here, folks.
Feel free to follow along in the comments. Go Browns!
Update: Browns inactives: QB Ken Dorsey (3rd), WR Joshua Cribbs, FS Brodney Pool, LB Kris Griffin, C Rex Hadnot, DT Ahtyba Rubin, G Ryan Tucker, TE Martin Tucker.
September 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
well after my bowling green falcons bit a big one last night, i wanna see a team draped in orange and brown actually win a football game… here we go brownies, here we go!
September 7th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
the week 1 upset wasn’t enough?
Right with you…. let’s do this
September 7th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
haha, well yeah that was nice… but minnesota? i’m greedy. i know they’re technically a big 10 school, but all i could think of was jerry van dyke running along the sidelines. they’ll actually do pretty well this year, hopefully take the mac, but as we saw yesterday with ou, it could be tough.
anyway, enough of college ball, let’s go browns!
September 7th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Update: Jamal Lewis is now deemed “likely” per team sources. If he can do anything near what Willie Parker is doing, I’ll be thrilled….
September 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Food for thought: Is Cribbs’ injury worse than originally reported?
September 7th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Scott, I don’t know. My guess is that as a “burner” the burden of proof for a guy to say he is “ready” is pretty high. I promise not to use any more quotes.
I think Cribbs has to be more healthy than a guy like even Jamal Lewis to justify his roster spot as a returner and spot receiver. If Cribbs is a half step slow, they are better off with someone else running the ball back, I think.
September 7th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Well, I guess the Browns are going to have to a better job accounting for Witten. He has 41 yards receiving on the first drive.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Braylon Edwards really needs to catch the ball.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
This is horrible.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Nice kickoff handle Brownies.
This is embarrassing. Our defense is terrible.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Suck.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
We are down by 14 points at halftime but we arent out of the game. The DL needs more pressure, Romo has all freaking day to throw and Edwards not practicing for the last few weeks is really showing up. Lets hope they pull it together!
September 7th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Tony Romo has enough time to take a sh*t in the pocket, and then throw the ball after Owens ran suicides from one endzone to the next.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
It would be nice if Braylon would catch something. Every time he drops it he goes back to the huddle bitching like it was DA’s fault. Prima donna needs to act like he’s worth being paid.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Can someone tell me what good it is to have Willie McGinest out on the field? Has he done anything what-so-ever?
September 7th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Aikman and Buck say we need to jam Owens. How is a 5′10 CB going to do anything but get run over by T.O.? I wish we could trade Braylon for Santonio Holmes straight up, as an OSU fan and a Browns fan. Holmes is faster, smarter, runs better routes, and catches better. Edwards is just bigger.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
When does spring training for the Indians start?
September 7th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
What a joke. There was not a single solitary ounce of pride evident on the field for the Browns. Braylon and DA looked like they just met, the D line was little more than scenery, and the defensive backs can neither tackle nor cover. Good thing we sold the farm to get this defense. Good thing we didn’t even try to get Foxworth, Manning Jr., or Deltha O’Neal last week. And I can’t wait til we overpay Ty Law’s geriatric behind this week.
And then there’s the coaching staff–or, more specifically the head coach. A potted plant would show more fire on the sidelines. Aikman and Buck (put on a cheerleader jersey, Troy….and let’s not even start on Buck) talked about how the team spent the week offering excuses for why they might lose (injuries, Pittsburgh next week, etc.) instead of offering any signs of confidence. That starts at the top, plain and simple. And as for the field goal call on fourth and three down 21 with 10 to play? That was perhaps the single most embarrassing thing I’ve seen from a Browns team since Helmetgate cost us that game to the Chiefs. I’ve been patient with Romeo, but that was nothing short of pathetic.
I understand it’s the first game. I understand that we were missing several key players, and that several were playing at less than 100%. And I understand that the Cowboys are an early season favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. But this looked like a fifth preseason game–no intensity, poor execution, and numerous mental errors. And this team–with this schedule–cannot afford to wait til the bye week to regroup and get going. Anything less than 2-2 at the bye is essentially game over as far as the playoffs are concerned. The next three are in the division, with a primetime matchup next week against a Yinsburgh team that looked very good today (no, the Texans aren’t the Cowboys, but right now, the Browns aren’t even the Texans). This next week will be full of media voices and furute opponents absolutely trashing this team–and deservedly so. It’s time for this team to man up and do what we all know they are capable of.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
**that should be “future” opponents–though whatever “furute” opponents are, I’m sure they will be talking down on us, too.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Go Cavs!
September 7th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I am really disappointed by my fellow Browns fans here.
McGinest did one productive thing for sure. He came barreling in on Romo forcing an incomplete pass. The Cowboys got a first because McDonald couldnt keep his hands away from TO’s face and Romo got a bloody chin because he got hit by the top of Willie’s facemask.
We got beat. Braylon was clearly not in good form dropping easy passes. Romo had all day in the first half and the second was a whole lot better. Keep in mind however, this was expected!
Ever since the schedule came out every expert is saying that 9 – 10 wins will take our division. We need to beat the Steelers next week, otherwise they will be the one to win the division and we will miss out on the Wild Card just barely. That will be the game to whine about if we lose it.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
DA played like he wanted to win, Winslow played like he wanted to win, it took one half of getting pummeled for the front 7 to play like they wanted to win. Our DB’s better learn some shit quick, Witten and TO had a field day with them.
No where to go but up, now it feels like football season has started.
Hoy
September 7th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Ugh-ly…I think the O will be fine I really do…but the D…My god
September 7th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Not to pile on, but how different a game would it have been if Braylon doesn’t drop three passes in the first half? The browns might have gotten into a shootout, but they lost any potential momentum with drops.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Sam…my comment about McGinest was written at the half, and I think it is safe to say he had done zero to that point….
September 7th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
ugly.
September 7th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Badly coached teams have problems with stupid penalties. The Browns have had problems with stupid penalties for a couple years now. Therefore, the Browns have a bad head coach. A FG when down 28-7 with 8 minutes to go. Really Romeo? Was Phil Dawson on your fantasy team? Just throw in the towel next time, save me and everyone elses time. Since when has rushing 3 people ever worked? There are 5 offensive lineman, and you rush the same 3 people everytime. You do the math. You don’t need to rush 5 men all the time, but at least 4 99% of the time and they can’t be the same people every time, you have to at least try to confuse the offense. It took the whole first half for him to figure out that rushing 3 guys wasn’t working when it should have taken 1 minute. There were literally Cowboy’s offensive lineman standing there looking for someone to block. And the playcalling was just terrible in the 2nd half, the play that immediately comes to mind was during our first drive of the 2nd half, after 2 good runs by Lewis to get us to a 3rd and short, we throw a fade to the sideline for Edwards. Sure, the execution was terrible, but even with a good throw it would have taken a great catch to make the play since he was well covered. It is such a low percentage play, it wasn’t worth the risk. Thats a redzone type play, not midfield. That was a crucial point in the game, we had good field position, only down 2 scores with plenty of time left, just forced Dallas into a 3 and out, and then we answer with our own 3 and out. Terrible terrible terrible.
Our entire linebacking core has disappointed me thus far, Wimbley never came close to the QB except for one time I remember, McGinest is just old, slow, and bad, and Andre Davis is equally slow and bad. Leon Williams can’t possibly be worse than Davis in coverage. None of them are able to cover TEs, and none of them showed the ability to get to the QB.
September 7th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
So, when does the NBA start again?
September 8th, 2008 at 7:21 am
I wonder what it would be like to root for a team that didn’t disappoint at every turn.
The defense doesn’t even deserve an F. They deserve a G, as in “G-sus Christ you guys suck.”
September 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
meh. 8-8.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I can’t wait for Braylon and DA to get on the same page.
That page being the one where the QB puts the ball right in your hands, but instead of dropping it, you catch it.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:43 am
The offense will be OK, not really worried there. The defense, on the other hand …
Problem #1 – 2 fat/2 slow – the 3-4 requires quickness on the line and speed at the linebackers, and the Browns have neither. 340 +lb 4-3 defensive tackles do not have what it takes to play end in the 3-4. In addition, McGinnest and Davis look like they’re running in cement shoes. Wimbley is a 4-3 rush end, and that’s where he should be. He’s not a linebacker, and it shows. Shaun Rogers is Ted Washington with a mohawk – he got pushed all over the place yesterday, ditto Corey Williams. Not good-
Problem #2 – The secondary stinks, no surprise there. The issues they have are magnified by Problem #1.
Romeo is pounding a square peg into a round hole with the 3-4 defense. They simply do not have the correct personnel to run it.